Monday, February 7, 2011

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "4 Way Street"

I previously wrote a post about this album back when I first started my blog which may have a little more review.

This is a double disc live album that I picked up a Tower Records after I bought the group's first two albums. Like a real CSNY concert the album is split into two section an acoustic set (disc 1) and an electric set (disc 2). The album has moments of brilliance but is slightly uneven. On disc 1 thegroup only works as a whole on "Teach your Children" and "Love the One You're With." Other than that it seems each member performs solo or with the others acting simply as back up. Young gets a little more time than the others and just as Stills gets featured disc one ends.

Disc 2 features them working as a band through the entire disc and there are some good long jams between Stills and Young on the 15 minute renditions of "Southern Man" and "Carry On." The CD reissue adds four track to disc 1 all solo acoustic performances, there are no liner notes aside from the song lyrics.

One thing I did find interesting is that though the album was released in 1971 these performances were recorded in the Summer of 1970 on the "Deja Vu" tour and yet much of the material performed is from albums that were not released until Winter of '70 or well into '71. So the audience does not react when songs like "Chicago" or "Don't Let it Bring you Down" are preformed because this is probably the first time anyone heard any of these songs.

This is a fine addition to any CSN(Y) fans catalog, several songs "Right Between the Eyes," "The Lee Shore" and "Triad" only appear on this album unless you want to buy several different box sets. There has been talk that CSNY are going to release a new live album in 2011 from their excellent 1974 reunion tour here's hoping but until then "4 Way Street" is their best live album and great continuation of their debut album and "Deja Vu."

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